John Cobb and Meijun Fan, taken on December 22, four days before John Cobb's passing forward
Celebrating John Cobb
An American Friend and Mentor in China
Meijun Fan, Ph.D [1]
Who represents the values and ideals of the United States in China? Or, to put it another way, who is America’s cultural ambassador? If you ask this question to Chinese people, the answer will depend on whom you ask. In an increasingly diverse China, opinions about the United States vary widely. Fans of Friends, an American television sitcom, might think of characters in the series. Pop music enthusiasts may point to Taylor Swift, while those fascinated by technology may name Elon Musk. Of course, those interested in politics may mention Donald Trump.
However, if you ask Chinese citizens involved in the environmental movement, their answer would most likely be John Cobb Jr.
Who is John Cobb Jr.?
John Cobb Jr. is the founding co-director of the Center for Process Studies, the founding president of the Institute for Postmodern Development of China, a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a world-renowned postmodern thinker, ecological economist, and philosopher. He has been hailed as “one of the most important living philosophers in the West.” [2]
Dr. Cobb has dedicated his life to the process movement, publishing more than 50 books. He authored the world’s first monograph on ecological philosophy, Is It Too Late?, and was among the first Western thinkers to propose the concept of “green GDP.” Often called the “father of green GDP,” Cobb recognized ecological issues as early as the 1970s. His book Is It Too Late? sounded the alarm about environmental destruction and called for urgent action.
In his commitment to ecological sustainability, Cobb contributed his entire savings of $500,000 in 2015 to organize an ecological civilization congress in Claremont, California. A minimalist, he has not bought new clothes in over 30 years. When he visited China in 2019, an observant writer, Ms. Cao Xi, noticed a hole in the elbow of his shirt.
This internationally respected scholar is beloved in China, where people call him the “ecological sage” of our time. His warm reception in China is understandable. Apart from the pandemic, Cobb visited China almost every year for over a decade, traversing its landscapes—from ecological terraces in Miao Village, Guizhou Province, to organic rice fields in Lishui, Zhejiang Province. Whether meeting government officials, university students, entrepreneurs, or villagers, Cobb left a lasting impression.
In Beijing, Xu Jialu, Vice Chairman of China, called him “big brother” and praised him as “a man of great love.” Pan Yue, an influential minister who shaped China's environmental policies, hosted a special lunch in his honor. We Xing, the Party Secretary of Pu'er, Yunnan, claimed Cobb must have a spiritual connection to China, as his mother had been a classmate of Madam Sun Yat-sen at Wesley College. Mayor Liu Yong invited Cobb to regard Pu'er as his second home and return often.
A Legacy of Love and Friendship
Cobb’s impact extended beyond officials. A barber in Lishui refused to charge him for a haircut, and a caring woman in Hangzhou sent a donation asking it to be spent on something delicious for him. Venerable Nengxing, abbot of Wanshan Temple, traveled overnight to Beijing just to meet him. Ms. Huang Meiying, a former village chief, drove hundreds of miles to see Cobb, holding his hand and saying she felt “content” meeting him. Cobb reassured her that her wisdom and compassion mattered more than formal education.
Entrepreneurs in Beijing celebrated Cobb with a high-end forum on “Ecological Civilization and the Transformation of New Business Paradigms” and a grand “Harmony Banquet.” Local governments established ecological workstations in his honor, including the Cobb Eco-Academy in Zhejiang. In 2024, additional institutions named after him were inaugurated, even as Cobb, due to age, could no longer travel to China.
Bridging Cultures and Ideas
Cobb was admired for his ability to integrate knowledge and compassion. At forums and conferences, he advocated for organic agriculture, postmodern communities, interdisciplinary education, and ecological civilization. He criticized the worship of academic disciplines (“disciplinolatry”) for fragmenting knowledge and called for holistic approaches to learning. At Harbin Normal University, he opposed education that prioritized economic utility over ecological and spiritual well-being.
Cobb also emphasized international cooperation. At the 17th Claremont Forum on Ecological Civilization, he highlighted the importance of U.S.-China collaboration. His leadership helped establish this forum as one of the world’s most influential gatherings on ecological issues.
Cobb’s work was deeply rooted in process philosophy, founded by Alfred North Whitehead, which views existence as dynamic, creative, and interconnected. As Marjorie Suchocki summarized, “Interdependence is the very stuff of life.” Cobb saw process philosophy as a bridge-building discipline that unites diverse perspectives.
Building a Sustainable Future
Cobb cherished efforts to rebuild organic communities, blending human and natural harmony. He admired China’s ecological advancements, from art programs for farmers to organic agriculture initiatives. For Cobb, life’s purpose was better captured in love and cooperation than in isolation and competition.
In 2021, Cobb wrote letters to Presidents Xi and Biden, urging U.S.-China cooperation for global sustainability. Though unsure if they read his letters, he found solace in their subsequent meeting, hoping it marked a step toward unity.
A Philosopher’s Legacy
Knowledge itself has no temperature, but when merged with compassion, it moves hearts. Cobb’s work embodied this blend, inspiring people across cultures. He made Claremont, a small town, famous in China and helped popularize ecological civilization, even influencing China's constitution.
At Cobb’s 99th birthday celebration in China, participants hailed him as proof that ecological civilization is possible. Wen Tiejun, a leading economist, called him a beacon of hope. Zhou Jinfeng, Vice President of the China Biodiversity Conservation Foundation, praised Cobb as a “living history book.” German scholar David Bartosch recited Friedrich Schiller’s poem, which captures Cobb’s life:
You must strive restlessly forward, never tirelessly standing still... In the abyss dwells the truth.
At the celebration, Cobb urged nations to abandon competition and pursue love. “Only love can create a better world,” he said.
Remembering John Cobb Jr.
As February 9, 2025—his 100th birthday—approaches, Cobb’s friends in America and China prepare to honor him. Tragically, Cobb passed away just weeks before reaching this milestone, on December 26th—his mother’s birthday. Perhaps she came to take him home to rest after a century of tireless work.
Cobb’s final words were: “People who live in love are happy! I wish you happiness forever!”
Though the philosopher is gone, his spirit lives on, a guiding light for ecological civilization and global cooperation. History will remember and honor him—a man who built bridges between nations and devoted his life to our planet and its people.
1 Dr. Meijun Fan is Co-director of China Project, Center for Process Studies, as well as the program Director of the Institute for Postmodern Development of China, and the dean of Cobb Eco-Academy. She is the author of more than 10 books including the recent one, Cobb and China: An Intensive Study of Cobb’s Postmodern Ecological Civilization Thought(2022).
2 Andre Vltchek, John Cobb, China and Ecological Civilization, Badak Merah Semesta, 2019, p.4.
However, if you ask Chinese citizens involved in the environmental movement, their answer would most likely be John Cobb Jr.
Who is John Cobb Jr.?
John Cobb Jr. is the founding co-director of the Center for Process Studies, the founding president of the Institute for Postmodern Development of China, a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a world-renowned postmodern thinker, ecological economist, and philosopher. He has been hailed as “one of the most important living philosophers in the West.” [2]
Dr. Cobb has dedicated his life to the process movement, publishing more than 50 books. He authored the world’s first monograph on ecological philosophy, Is It Too Late?, and was among the first Western thinkers to propose the concept of “green GDP.” Often called the “father of green GDP,” Cobb recognized ecological issues as early as the 1970s. His book Is It Too Late? sounded the alarm about environmental destruction and called for urgent action.
In his commitment to ecological sustainability, Cobb contributed his entire savings of $500,000 in 2015 to organize an ecological civilization congress in Claremont, California. A minimalist, he has not bought new clothes in over 30 years. When he visited China in 2019, an observant writer, Ms. Cao Xi, noticed a hole in the elbow of his shirt.
This internationally respected scholar is beloved in China, where people call him the “ecological sage” of our time. His warm reception in China is understandable. Apart from the pandemic, Cobb visited China almost every year for over a decade, traversing its landscapes—from ecological terraces in Miao Village, Guizhou Province, to organic rice fields in Lishui, Zhejiang Province. Whether meeting government officials, university students, entrepreneurs, or villagers, Cobb left a lasting impression.
In Beijing, Xu Jialu, Vice Chairman of China, called him “big brother” and praised him as “a man of great love.” Pan Yue, an influential minister who shaped China's environmental policies, hosted a special lunch in his honor. We Xing, the Party Secretary of Pu'er, Yunnan, claimed Cobb must have a spiritual connection to China, as his mother had been a classmate of Madam Sun Yat-sen at Wesley College. Mayor Liu Yong invited Cobb to regard Pu'er as his second home and return often.
A Legacy of Love and Friendship
Cobb’s impact extended beyond officials. A barber in Lishui refused to charge him for a haircut, and a caring woman in Hangzhou sent a donation asking it to be spent on something delicious for him. Venerable Nengxing, abbot of Wanshan Temple, traveled overnight to Beijing just to meet him. Ms. Huang Meiying, a former village chief, drove hundreds of miles to see Cobb, holding his hand and saying she felt “content” meeting him. Cobb reassured her that her wisdom and compassion mattered more than formal education.
Entrepreneurs in Beijing celebrated Cobb with a high-end forum on “Ecological Civilization and the Transformation of New Business Paradigms” and a grand “Harmony Banquet.” Local governments established ecological workstations in his honor, including the Cobb Eco-Academy in Zhejiang. In 2024, additional institutions named after him were inaugurated, even as Cobb, due to age, could no longer travel to China.
Bridging Cultures and Ideas
Cobb was admired for his ability to integrate knowledge and compassion. At forums and conferences, he advocated for organic agriculture, postmodern communities, interdisciplinary education, and ecological civilization. He criticized the worship of academic disciplines (“disciplinolatry”) for fragmenting knowledge and called for holistic approaches to learning. At Harbin Normal University, he opposed education that prioritized economic utility over ecological and spiritual well-being.
Cobb also emphasized international cooperation. At the 17th Claremont Forum on Ecological Civilization, he highlighted the importance of U.S.-China collaboration. His leadership helped establish this forum as one of the world’s most influential gatherings on ecological issues.
Cobb’s work was deeply rooted in process philosophy, founded by Alfred North Whitehead, which views existence as dynamic, creative, and interconnected. As Marjorie Suchocki summarized, “Interdependence is the very stuff of life.” Cobb saw process philosophy as a bridge-building discipline that unites diverse perspectives.
Building a Sustainable Future
Cobb cherished efforts to rebuild organic communities, blending human and natural harmony. He admired China’s ecological advancements, from art programs for farmers to organic agriculture initiatives. For Cobb, life’s purpose was better captured in love and cooperation than in isolation and competition.
In 2021, Cobb wrote letters to Presidents Xi and Biden, urging U.S.-China cooperation for global sustainability. Though unsure if they read his letters, he found solace in their subsequent meeting, hoping it marked a step toward unity.
A Philosopher’s Legacy
Knowledge itself has no temperature, but when merged with compassion, it moves hearts. Cobb’s work embodied this blend, inspiring people across cultures. He made Claremont, a small town, famous in China and helped popularize ecological civilization, even influencing China's constitution.
At Cobb’s 99th birthday celebration in China, participants hailed him as proof that ecological civilization is possible. Wen Tiejun, a leading economist, called him a beacon of hope. Zhou Jinfeng, Vice President of the China Biodiversity Conservation Foundation, praised Cobb as a “living history book.” German scholar David Bartosch recited Friedrich Schiller’s poem, which captures Cobb’s life:
You must strive restlessly forward, never tirelessly standing still... In the abyss dwells the truth.
At the celebration, Cobb urged nations to abandon competition and pursue love. “Only love can create a better world,” he said.
Remembering John Cobb Jr.
As February 9, 2025—his 100th birthday—approaches, Cobb’s friends in America and China prepare to honor him. Tragically, Cobb passed away just weeks before reaching this milestone, on December 26th—his mother’s birthday. Perhaps she came to take him home to rest after a century of tireless work.
Cobb’s final words were: “People who live in love are happy! I wish you happiness forever!”
Though the philosopher is gone, his spirit lives on, a guiding light for ecological civilization and global cooperation. History will remember and honor him—a man who built bridges between nations and devoted his life to our planet and its people.
1 Dr. Meijun Fan is Co-director of China Project, Center for Process Studies, as well as the program Director of the Institute for Postmodern Development of China, and the dean of Cobb Eco-Academy. She is the author of more than 10 books including the recent one, Cobb and China: An Intensive Study of Cobb’s Postmodern Ecological Civilization Thought(2022).
2 Andre Vltchek, John Cobb, China and Ecological Civilization, Badak Merah Semesta, 2019, p.4.